The Press Box.

Carolina Finally Ends Primeau Impasse With Deal To Flyers

The Carolina Hurricanes ended a five-month contract dispute with former captain and All-Star Keith Primeau by trading him Sunday to the Philadelphia Flyers for Rod Brind'Amour.

"I am excited that there's finally a resolution, and am looking forward to playing in city like Philadelphia," said Primeau, a restricted free agent who has missed Carolina's first 48 games.

Primeau, who had 30 goals last season, said he signed a five-year, $22.75 million contract with the Flyers and should be in uniform Thursday night.

Brind'Amour, an 11-year NHL veteran, played in 484 straight games before missing the first 34 games this season with a broken left foot. Since returning to the lineup, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound center has eight points in 12 games.

Carolina also gets 21-year-old goaltender Jean-Marc Pelletier and a second-round pick at the NHL entry draft in June.

The deal follows a flurry of rumors the last few days that included a three-way swap with Phoenix and the Rangers that would also have sent Keith Tkachuk to New York.

New York Rangers forward Kevin Stevens was jailed early Sunday in Collinsville, Ill., on a drug charge and later placed in a league substance abuse program. Stevens gave police a statement admitting he smoked crack cocaine. Additional felony drug charges against him were pending.